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Barcelona (STM) – Great Food Under the Stars

What better way to spend a beautiful summer night than with family enjoying al fresco dining. Sitting on Summer Street in Stamford is not exactly La Rambla in Barcelona, but the food at Barcelona Wine Bar is a good substitute in this part of the world.

We ordered a variety of tapas over the course of the evening. My two favorites were the “Grilled Hanger Steak” ($9.50) and the “Crispy Calamari” ($10.50). The seven small slices of steak were served with a black truffle vinaigrette. Ordered medium rare the kitchen prepared it exactly as ordered. The meat was rich in flavor and the sauce added an earthy quality. The calamari was served with a smoked pepper aioli. Both heads and body pieces were included and unlike other restaurants that serve calamari as rings, Barcelona’s are prepared as larger curly-square segments. The kitchen then fried these pieces perfectly. Dipping each piece into the aioli created a wonderful combination of texture with just a little spiciness. A long-time favorite, the “Mushrooms and Herbed Goat Cheese” ($8.50) was also delicious. The mélange of wild mushrooms were served in a balsamic reduction with a dollop of the herbed goat cheese sitting atop. The deep flavors of the mushrooms were complemented with the balsamic reduction and then offset with the creaminess of the cheese. A complete disappointment was the “Gambas al Ajillo” (9.50). They were served nakedly in a dish with garlic, Guindilla pepper and Sherry. I can only assume that there were so many sold in the previous two weekend evenings that we received the last of the inventory. Six meagerly sized shrimp were included in the order and these were badly prepared. This dish was more in line with Red Lobster than Barcelona, one bite was enough.

We always leave room for dessert as the “Crepas Salguero” ($8) never disappoints. Two crepes are rolled around a sweet and delicious Dulce de Leche, then topped with chocolate sauce and a scoop of vanilla ice cream. The crepe is a great canvas for the three sweet additions. We normally share this dish.

The service on this night was downright annoying and intrusive, constantly interrupting the flow of conversation at the table. She was totally unaware that her interruption to ask us to order more tapas reminded everyone at the table of a hawker at the street fair. Management needs to explain the proper way to approach a table. I have seen this on several occasions at the Barcelona chain but this was probably the worst.

Overall it was a wonderful evening at Barcelona, in spite of the amateur service, and I look forward to many more evenings enjoying the great flavors emerging from the kitchen.